The Arizona Diamondbacks came into the trade season with the expectation that they would be among the biggest sellers in baseball. Going into Thursday, there had only been a handful of trades made this year. Beyond the Rafael Devers blockbuster, none of these trades involved any game-changing players.
On Thursday, the Diamondbacks changed that.
Arizona traded first baseman Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for prospects Ashton Izzi and Brandyn Garcia. Both prospects were ranked in the top 20 of Seattle’s system, per MLB Pipeline.
This trade works for both sides. The Diamondbacks are able to add some pitching prospects to their system, which is a spot in the farm that Arizona still needs to upgrade. The Mariners are able to land the first baseman they need for their lineup. First base has been a weak spot for months now, and Naylor’s presence adds a new wrinkle alongside Cal Raleigh in Seattle.
But this isn’t the last time these two sides will likely talk trades this season. In fact, they could swing another trade in the next few days.
Slugger Eugenio Suárez has been closely linked to the Mariners this season. Seattle is expected to be one of the more aggressive teams in his trade sweepstakes.
While the Diamondbacks could have traded the two pieces (Naylor and Suárez) at the same time to the Mariners, it makes sense to hold onto Suárez so that a bidding war can ensue.
Now, the Mariners can continue to hunt Suárez in a trade, but other teams will have their fair chance to land him, too. It’s a very smart move from the Diamondbacks, and it shows their front office isn’t rushing anything.
Don’t be surprised if these two sides are linked again in the coming days. With the trade deadline around a week away, Seattle and Arizona will likely remain in trade talks until Suárez comes off the board.
More MLB: MLB Insider Reveals Shocking Development In Eugenio Suárez Trade Sweepstakes
The post Mariners, Diamondbacks May Swing Another Trade After Josh Naylor Deal appeared first on Newsweek.
